It’s funny how you discover one thing when you were really focused on something else entirely.

Let me explain…

I was having some minor health issues and so I decided to try cutting gluten from my diet to see if it would help me feel better.  Well, not only did I feel better but my energy level increased and my pants got loose – totally unexpected.

First of all, what the heck is gluten?

Without giving you a long, boring explanation of what gluten is, gluten is quite simply,

“…a mixture of plant proteins found in cereal grains, such as wheat, rye, barley..it is also used as an adhesive in making seasonings, especially monosodium glutamate (MSG).”

-The American Heritage Science Dictionary

Oddly enough, gluten is found in many, many other things such as salad dressings and even soy sauce! It is no wonder many people are developing a sensitivity to the stuff, it’s in everything!  (I do want to point out that gluten sensitivity is not to be confused with gluten intolerance – a whole different issue entirely.  These people become very, very ill if they consume even the slightest bit of gluten.  This would not be us )

Okay, so back to what I discovered…

I was still eating carbs, so this was not merely a “cut out all breads and pastas” low-carb sort of thing.  I continued to eat those things, but in gluten-free form.

I would say that I lost mainly inches/body fat, not weight, because I probably only lost about 2 lbs….but my clothes were fitting better.  I wasn’t trying to lose weight at the time, but I thought, “Hey, this might be great for someone trying to lose weight or even just stubborn belly fat.”

And so, I passed this idea on to a friend of mine, who coincidentally had just been complaining about her stubborn belly fat.  She tried it and within a week, saw a difference in the way her clothing was fitting, and a definite reduction in belly size.  I believe in the end, she dropped almost 2 clothing sizes, without exercising. Not too shabby I’d say!

So, needless to say,  I realized I was on to something.

The Plan

It is really very simple to do, don’t stress about it.  Just drastically reduce or eliminate completely all gluten from your diet. Replace those things with gluten free versions.  That’s it.  No crazy restrictions, or hunger, or cravings to deal with.  Try it, you may be pleasantly surprised. The really cool thing is that exercising would only make the results even better.

Let me know if you try it and the results you get

Want a workout that will actually burn body fat and lean you out? Then you absolutely must incorporate afterburn training, or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), into your program.

High Intensity Interval Training is a very particular way of performing aerobic exercise that will force your body into releasing human growth hormone (HGH). HGH is wonderful stuff – it’s your body’s natural fat burning hormone.

Bet’cha didn’t know you had that in you, huh?
BUT…(of course you knew there was a catch, right?) as we get older, HGH declines, which is why it is such a pain in the neck to lose weight as we age. Add to that a slower metabolic rate and you have, well, a perfect storm for increased fat.
Increase this “HGH wonderfulness” again and we can burn fat like we did when we were young!
HGH has been proven to destroy fat, which is what we want in an aerobic workout. It is even better if you can do your aerobic intervals on an empty stomach. So shoot for a morning workout or make sure you haven’t had anything to eat for about 3 hours. This will help your body release those lovely HGH hormones. If you really want to attack your body fat, don’t eat for an hour after performing aerobic intervals to really maximize fat burning benefits.
Below I have included an example of a HIIT workout that can be done on a treadmill, or any cardio machine of your choice. Don’t feel as though you must RUN/JOG to reap the benefits of this type of workout. Many of you cannot run/jog due to injuries and such, and that is perfectly fine. Just jump on the elliptical machine or stationary bike. You can even use one of the cycling class spinning bicycles – those are my personal fave for doing aerobic intervals!
1. Warm-up for 5 minutes at a medium pace
2. After 5 minutes, speed up to a medium/high pace for one minute
3. After one minute, slow down to your original medium pace
4. After one minute of medium, speed up to your previous medium/high pace, but this time add .5 to the speed (so if you first did 6.0…now you are going to set it at 6.5)
5. After one minute, you are going to go back to your original medium pace for one minute.
6. Alternate every minute between medium and high pace for 20 minutes… Keep your medium pace the same, but keep increasing your high pace by .5 until you cannot go any harder for one minute.

Note: Don’t be surprised if you get really red in the face while performing these aerobic intervals. Do not be embarrassed by this, this is exactly what you want. It is actually an indication that you are doing the exercise correctly and that your body heat is rising. This thermogenic effect is what is going to annihilate that stubborn body fat and keep your metabolic rate high even after you have finished working out. Thus the term “afterburn training”.
**After you are finished with your intervals, you can add a boost to your fat burning by tacking on an extra 15-20 minutes of steady state cardio.
Note: This would be considered an advanced aerobic workout program. Make sure you are in decent health before working out at this intensity level.

First of all, I have to be honest and just say that I HATE doing crunches.  They just seem to bore me to death and I have no patience for the repetitive movements.  The forward flexion of ab crunches also kills my neck and back (I have an old injury), so I tend to just skip them altogether, which isn’t good either.

Ab crunches can be tricky.  It is very easy to do them wrong, as it can be difficult for many people to effectively isolate the abdominals in this position.  I see a lot of incorrect form, such as neck pulling and/or the use of momentum, which is ineffective. It is also possible to train abs in an outward manner, which produces protruding abdominal muscles and can increase the size of your waistline-very disappointing considering how uncomfortable and boring the exercise is in the first place!

Benefits of the Plank Exercise

The plank exercise, on the other hand, trains you to hold your abs inward, both during the exercise and in everyday life.  This will give you that slim, compact waistline you seek, with the sweet bonus of having very visible abdominal tone …provided your body fat levels are low enough of course (I will save that for another post).

Another plus of the plank exercise is that since all movement begins with your core muscles (at least that’s the way it’s supposed to be) you will be able to exert more strength and better form when performing other exercises.  This will result in improved neuromuscular development, and by extension, enhanced overall muscle tone.

How to Do the Plank Exercise Correctly – IMPORTANT

 When done correctly, the plank is extremely challenging. In fact, when most people first try the plank, they can only hold it for about 15-30 seconds max. If you can hold it longer with correct form, fantastic!  But do not feel bad if it seems really, really tough at first…totally normal.  If it feels easy, make sure your belly button is pulled in toward your spine and that your butt is not too high. Make adjustments accordingly.

Watch the video below for instructions on how to perform the plank correctly.

Plank Routine

Since the plank is an isometric exercise, you can train them 5-6 times per week or everyday if you want to. If your lower back bothers you during the exercise, you can begin by doing the regular plank on your knees, and the side planks with your lower knee on the floor, top leg extended.

Start with 30 second holds, and build from there.

1. Regular plank – hold for 30 seconds
2. Left side plank – hold for 30 seconds
3. Right side plank – hold for 30 seconds
4. REST for 30 seconds
5. Repeat

 Progression

Once the above routine begins to feel easy, add on another 30 seconds to each.  Keep adding on in 30 second increments until you get to 2 minute holds.

Once you have reached 2 minute holds with perfect form, add the following:

1. Left/right side plank with top leg raised and extended straight, top arm extended to ceiling
2. Regular plank with left/right leg lifted (hold one leg up for half hold time then carefully switch to other leg)

Note: Because these progressions are adding an unstable element to the exercise, the difficulty level will increase again.  As a result, you will need to adjust the hold times accordingly.

Enjoy!

Welcome to Bona Fide Fit! It is my goal to help as many possible reach their fitness goals.